On the Edge (23 page)

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Tommy’s eyes are wild and full of anger and hatred.  I keep urging my feet to move but I am paralyzed by fear.  He is just standing there in front of me with his hands balled up in fists.  The only sound I can hear is the beating of my erratic heart.  My feet begin to move.  I’m stepping back, slowly, toward the sound of the music; toward my room.  With every step back I take, Tommy takes a step forward.  He’s got sweat pouring from his face.  His breathing is getting faster and deeper.  “You promised me you would wait
and give me another chance.  You gave me hope for us.  I was changing for you,” he growls at me.

             
I don’t know what to say.  My hands instinctively go to my belly.  I cover my girls.  I have to find a way out of this.  I’m alone.  Mom is out of town and Dad is at work.  Jason will be here in a few hours but I don’t stand a chance with this maniac for that long.  “Tommy, I’m sorry.  I know you were trying.  I should have given you another chance.  I should have waited.  Please forgive me,” I plead.  I don’t mean any of it.  The only thing I’m sorry for is ever meeting him. 

             
He steps closer to me.  “It’s too late for sorry.  I’ve been watching you, Abigail.  I saw that asshole bring you flowers.  I watched him take you to the restaurant.  I saw you go home with him just days after finding out we were carrying
my
girls.  I’ve watched you settle into a domesticated life with another man.  Did you think I was going to allow another man to play house with
my
woman and
my
children?”

             
My heart is racing.  I have to find a way out of here.  I’m not safe.  Tommy eyes are black and lifeless.  I turn on my heels and make an attempt to reach my room. 
Follow the sound of Britney Spears, Abby; if you can make it to your room you can call for help
, I keep telling myself.  My attempt is in vain when Tommy grabs me by my ponytail and pulls me to the ground.  My tears wet my face but my screams are ear piercing.  I reach back and grab his hand with mine and try to pulls his fingers off my hair.  I dig my nails into the top of his hands and begin to scratch. 

             
He releases my hair and punches me on the side of the face.  I barely acknowledge the pain.  It feels like a slight sting but I can taste a metallic liquid in my mouth.  Blood!  I taste the metallic warmth of my own blood in my mouth.  I barely have time to register the blood in my mouth and the swelling of my lips before Tommy has me by the hair again lifting me into a standing position.

             
He slams me against the wall next to the kitchen.  My head crashes into the drywall leaving a hole in it.  My head is aching but I can’t focus on that right now.  I need to concentrate on getting away from Tommy and saving my girls.  He wraps a hand around my throat and lifts me until my feet are dangling inches above the floor.  I wrap my hands around his as I try to pry his hands off my throat.  I can’t get air into my lungs.  Everything is fading around me.  “Because of you and these fucking babies,” he says as he punches me in the stomach, “I have a criminal record.  If you hadn’t been stupid enough to get yourself pregnant I would have just left your ass instead of sticking around when the sight of you made me sick!”  He yells at me. 

             
The world is starting to go dark.  I can’t give up, I have to do something; anything to save my babies.  I move my hands from his and find his face.  I dig my thumbs into his eyes using the pad and nail of both thumbs.  I hear him scream in agony as he lets go of me.  Once I hit the ground, I stagger to my feet.  No time to catch my breath.  I have to get out of here.  I run toward the broken front door.  I find my voice as soon as I hit the front steps.  “Help me!  He’s trying to kill me!” I scream as I make my way across the lawn.

             
I’m almost to the street when Tommy catches me by that damn ponytail.  I’m forced backwards as I feel a burning sensation on my side.  This is not the time to get a cramp, I think to myself.  I fall to the ground, on my back.  Before I know it, Tommy is on top of me.  His arm falls down on me over and over again before I have time to react.  With each downward motion of his arm I feel a burning sensation.  I finally see it; a knife.  With every downward motion, he’s plunging a knife into my stomach. 

             
I grab his arm, trying to prevent that knife from coming back down to my stomach.  My girls are there.  I can’t allow him to continue to bring the knife down on them.  Panic is being replaced with anger.  I am angry that he is trying to kill my babies.  With all I have, I push up and knock him off of me.  The knife falls out of his hand. 

             
I try to get up but he grabs me by the ankle and I fall forward.  I try to keep my weight off of the babies by supporting my fall with my arms.  Tommy flips me around and gives me another hit to the face.  This time, he makes contact with my nose.  I feel a gush of blood running down into my mouth.  The blood is running down my throat as he places his hands around my throat again.  The world is turning dark.  I have no more fight left in me.  I fought as hard as I could but, in the end, I was too weak to survive.  Without my body as an incubator, my girls will suffer the same fate as me.  No more love from my parents.  I’ll never see Mike or Katherine again.  A tear rolls down my face as I think of Jason.  I’ll never see Jason again. 

             
Just as I’m about to lose consciousness, I hear squealing tires and police sirens.  The pressure around my throat is gone and I am left gasping for air.  Every part of my body hurts.  I try to stand up but I don’t seem to have the strength to push myself up.  I try once more to get up on my own but I am met with strong arms.  I know these arms.  I can’t see the person who has me but I know who it is.  These arms have never let me down before.  “Abigail, baby you’re okay.  I have you.  You’re safe now,” Jason says to me.  “Can we get some help here?  She’s bleeding and is pregnant with twins!” Jason shouts to whoever is listening.  I don’t care who is around.  I’m safe.  My guardian angel is here.  I can finally stop fighting and rest.

             
“Abigail, please don’t close your eyes.  I need you.  You have to fight.  Just a little longer.  I’m so sorry I left you alone.  Please stay with me!  Damn it, we need paramedics here now!” I hear Jason scream as the darkness swallows me.  

  
 
Thank you for reading
On the Edge
.  Keep a lookout for the sequel,
On the Edge of Death
, releasing summer 2014.  Abigail’s story is far from done.

Author’s Note

I am a domestic violence survivor.  I, like the character, was abused as a teenager by my (ex) husband.  Though many things are different between my personal life and that of Abigail, the fear is one in the same.  Girls who are less confident in themselves and harbor little self-esteem are at an increased risk of experiencing domestic violence.  An abuser feeds off of weakness.  Though it’s been more than a decade since I left my abuser, I am still plagued by nightmares and I am left, irrevocably, changed.  If you or anyone you know is experiencing psychological, emotional, physical or sexual abuse by a significant other please seek help.  Teachers, police, victims’ services and family are there to help you.  No one deserves to be abused.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233     
www.thehotline.org

Photography for cover courtesy of Shannan Lucckesi of Lucckesi Photography.  Cover modeling courtesy of Courtney Deaton.